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Prime Minister Tarique Rahman has said that professional competence and merit, rather than political ideology or personal likes and dislikes, will be the key criteria for the promotion of officers in the Bangladesh Navy and Air Force.
He made the remarks on Sunday (August 23) while formally inaugurating the ‘Navy and Air Force Selection Board-2026’ as the chief guest at Air Headquarters.
Eligible Bangladesh Navy officers holding the ranks of captain, commander and lieutenant commander, and Bangladesh Air Force officers holding the ranks of group captain, wing commander and squadron leader, will be considered for promotion by the selection board.
When the prime minister arrived at the venue, he was received by his Defence Adviser Brigadier General (retd) Dr AKM Shamsul Islam, Chief of Army Staff General Waker-Uz-Zaman, Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Khondkar Misbah Ul Azim and Chief of Air Staff Air Chief Marshal Hasan Mahmood Khan.
Before the selection board began its proceedings, Prime Minister Tarique Rahman conferred the rank badge of admiral on Chief of Naval Staff Khondkar Misbah Ul Azim and congratulated him on his appointment as the navy chief.
In his inaugural speech, the prime minister recalled the contributions of Ziaur Rahman, the announcer of Bangladesh’s independence and a martyred freedom fighter and former president, and former prime minister Begum Khaleda Zia.
He also paid tribute to those who were killed in the 1971 Liberation War, the 2024 mass uprising of students and the public, and those who were killed or injured in various movements for democracy and people’s rights from 1971 to 2024.
He also highlighted the sacrifices of martyred, wounded and valiant freedom fighters, as well as members of the armed forces, particularly those who made the ultimate sacrifice in the Navy and Air Force.
The prime minister instructed members of the selection board to rise above political ideology and personal preferences when considering officers for promotion. He urged them to give priority to professional competence, leadership qualities, discipline, integrity, loyalty and, above all, suitability for performing the responsibilities of the respective positions.
Tarique Rahman said the Bangladesh Navy and Air Force have been making important contributions to protecting the country’s independence and sovereignty, maintaining internal peace, order and stability, and assisting the civil administration in dealing with disasters.
He thanked the chiefs and all members of the two forces for their sacrifices and contributions to the country.
Later, the prime minister visited several important operational installations of the Air Force. At the Air Defence Operations Centre (ADOC) in Dhaka Cantonment, he unveiled a commemorative plaque marking the inauguration of the Air Defence System Integration (ADSI).
He then observed various air defence operations under the new system.
The prime minister also visited the Air Force’s Air Command Operations Centre (ACOC), where he observed fighter aircraft interception of enemy aircraft through a digital large display and troop insertion operations by helicopters using a live feed from unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) in Chattogram.
Later, he visited the Air Force’s Aerospace Research and Development Complex (ARDC) and observed various research activities there.
Several types of UAVs developed through the Bangladesh Air Force’s own capabilities were displayed, including drones, kamikaze drones, interceptor drones and vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) systems. The prime minister also witnessed the flight of a quadcopter.
The prime minister expressed hope that the development of such advanced aerial systems through indigenous technological capabilities would mark significant progress in the Bangladesh Air Force’s research, innovation and technological self-reliance.
Senior officials, including the prime minister’s defence adviser, the chiefs of the Navy and Air Force, the principal staff officer of the Armed Forces Division and the defence secretary, were present during the inauguration of the ‘Navy and Air Force Selection Board-2026’ and the prime minister’s visits to various operational installations.
